The turn of the year is always a time when I try to be optimistic and look positively towards the year ahead.
This year especially we look forward to better times and hope that the COVID vaccines can be administered as soon as possible and that we can get back to living ‘normal’ lives.
On the football front I hope that West Ham can press on to a top ten finish and maybe have a good cup run, but my aspirations for my beloved Hammers go far deeper.
Return of lost supporters
As many as 20,000 time-served ‘old school’ fans have walked away from the club they love and my dream is that we can get many of them to return.
Many of these are friends of mine who I have travelled the length and breadth of the country with, supporting the Hammers from Southampton to Aberdeen, and occasionally overseas.
They went home and away for decades supporting the club their parents and in some cases their grandparents supported before them.
The Baroness’s rebranding of the club did what 4 relegations could not. It broke the spirit of these fans who walked away feeling disenfranchised, discarded, disenchanted and alienated, unable to recognise the club they loved.
West Ham fans are a special breed. We had our own unique ‘brand’ and the club could have embraced this instead of discarding it.
West Ham’s soul is all but lost and it’s heart half broken with so many old school fans walking away.
I would love to see owners who will reach out to them, rediscover OUR brand and OUR club and improve things to entice them back.
Respect our traditions
I would love to see enlightened owners at the club owners who will strive to understand us and our aspirations, our traditions and our heritage, and who will listen and try hard, very hard to work constructively with the fans towards regaining the club’s very soul.
West Ham United has fantastic identity, history and culture, let us embrace and celebrate these values.
I would love to see owners that value and respect our supporters. Care of the memorial gardens and champions place stones for example should never be an issue.
I would love to see owners that consult with the fans constructively when considering for example a change in club crest, colours or name.
I would love to see owners that would recognise our loyal away support, always taking full ticket allocations and assisting with travel to every away game.
Improve the Match Day Experience
I would love to see owners who would conduct an independent financial and feasibility study into the possibility of completely reconfiguring the soulless bowl.
If reconfiguring, rebuilding or moving stadium does not prove possible then I would love to see owners working with the fans and LLBC to improve the bowl and the whole match day experience.
Not just in the stadium itself, but from when a supporter walks out of the station or from their car to when he or she takes their seat, and then walks back to the station or car.
I would love to see owners who would work to get old programme & memorabilia stalls, burger vans, sweet sellers, hats and scarves stalls, badge sellers on the approaches, using local business people.
The whole look and feel of the place could be so much improved, it would be great to feel like we were approaching a football ground to see a football match. Who remembers the shout ’Get your hats, scarves and badges’ ?
I would love to see owners totally committed to improving the stewarding at the bowl, and owners totally committed to ensure that away fans openly sporting colours were not allowed in the West Ham sections of the ground.
Owners who truly cared about the supporters could make great strides to improving the match day experience’
Improve the Infrastructure of the Club
I would love to see owners who work towards considerable improvement in the overall running of the club. My view is that West Ham United needs a complete overhaul from top to bottom.
The club needs a vision and a complete overhaul of our scouting network and training facilities and Academy. We need a younger first team squad, with emphasis made on home grown talent with more players making it to the first team from the academy.
We need 2 Premier League quality players for each position forming a balanced squad and if necessary funds must made available to purchase players. Team manager must be recruited in line with the club vision and given total control over player and coaching recruitment.
I would love to see us challenging as strongly as possible for both domestic cups and 7th or 8th place in the league. I believe this is possible with planning, commitment and hard work from the top down, with enlightened owners leading the way.
These may be dreams but with considerable effort from progressive owners so many of them could come true. Perhaps then some of those who have walked away will return. I hope so, I really do.
We Need Your Help
The results of the Hammers United survey will guide us and give us direction in our efforts to improve things for West Ham supporters.
West Ham United can be a happier place. It will not be easy, but it can be done, with your help.
Please check out our website on www.hammersunited.com and if you like what you see please join us. If you are already a member please tell your West Ham friends and family about us.
These are my dreams and I hope they come true. May all your dreams also come true for 2021.
Wishing all West Ham United supporters good health and much happiness in the New Year.
Long Live West Ham, Hammers for the cup!!
Paul Colborne
(Chairman, Hammers United)
